Lamp socket



May 6, 1941. "F. J. HAWKINS 2,

LAMP SOCKET Fi led Oct. 28, 1940 Flgl. Y

'T :g'l Q 5 a L Q L Fig.3.

- -6' f l- Q 7 7 O a s Inventor: Frank J. Hawkins, byf/W His Attorney.

Patented May 6, 1 941 UNlTE LAMP SOCKET Frank J. Hawkins, Rugby, England, assig-norto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1940, Serial No. 3 3,224

In Great Britain December 8, 1939 '1' Claims. (01.173-328) The present invention relates to sockets for double-ended tubularelectric lamps of the gaseous discharge type, and particularly to gaseous discharge lamps in which a filamentary electrode is mounted at each end of the lamp, for example, a fluorescent lamp of the well known commercial type now in use.

' In prior constructions, such as disclosed in the Marshaus Reissue Patent 21,545 thesocket consists of an insulating member provided in one face thereof with diametrically opposed arcuate slots and a slot extending diametrically of and intersecting both of the arcuate slots and extending to an edge of the face together with spring contact members mounted in the arcuate slots on opposite sides of the diametr'alslot. The lamp to be used with this 'sockethasat each end a cap having two contact pins, to mount the lamp in the socket. The pins are moved into the diametral slot and the lamp is then rotated to cause the pins to enter'the arcu'ateslots and engage the contact members. Current is thereupon In prior constructions, one of the contact members exposed within the opening in the socket at each end of the lamp is connected to the current source so that there isdanger of accidental contact therewith. In thepresent construction, the main contact members exposed within theopening in the socket are both insulated and the currentis connected instead tof one of the additional contacts hidden within the insulating body ofthe. socket. Consequently accidental contact with livejmetal is entirely lavoided sinceaccess to the. live contact cannot be had through the cpening in thesocket. c

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is' 'a view showingasocket supporting each end of atubular lamp; Fig. 2 1isa front view of g the lamp socket; Fig. 3 is a view ofthe'interior' applied to the lamp in the event that. the circuit to the socket is energized; inasmuch as .one of the contact members in the sockets at eachend of theslamp is connectedtoa source of current, such as an ordinary commercial [supply line.

There is'thus a possibility that when the lamp is not in position in"thesoclgetaccidental contact may occur between a user's body and the live contact member. V j

The object of the invention is toprovide' a socket of the'kind above-described which will'at all times protect the "user against the dangerof electric shock.

A lamp socket constructed in accordance with the present invention; comprises an insulating memberprovided with a circular opening in the front wall thereof and communicating with a slot extending to the edge of the basefmember itoe.

gether with-a pair of resilient contact members lying within the opening and engageable' by con; tact pins on alamp cap. An additional-contact member is provided to cooperate with each of the aforementioned. contact 1 members, the two pairs of contact members being normally'insulated of the socket with the lamp pins in partially mounted position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the lamp pins mounted in final position.

Referring tothe drawin the socket comprises a base 'memb'er l of'insulating material which maybe made inoneormore pieces, The base member is provided with a circular opening 3.from which a slot 4 extends to an edge of the member. The base member supports main contact members 5 and"additional*contact members Sgth contact members 5-being supported in converging slots 1 formed between'projecting portions 8 and! of the base member; 'rhe contact members 5 and 6 'are normally-completely insulated fronnon another. Both contact members 5' and tact membersfi while opposed projections l0 limit.

the inward movement of:ithegcontacttmembers from one another and so disposed that, on inserting a two-pin lamp base in the socket'and rotating it through anangle of. substantially 90,

plane of the opening so -that accidental contact therewith is prevented.

. the external 5. For connection toa source of current contact members 6 are provided with-terminals. I l furnishedwith terminal screws I2. The. base mem-.

ber isprovided with apertures 13 through which connections may pass to'the terminalslL;v r

r The opposed projections. ID are disposed with the. plane IOf theopening 3. :Theyare of sector shape and provide between them a diametral slot l4 which'islin; a=line withthe slot 4. The spaces around the projections l0 defined-by the opening 3 constitute arcuate slots similar to thoseshown in the aforementioned Marshausflpatentl H A- lamp lshaving at each end a pan-of pm contaatctsvli is adapted to cooperate with" the The projecthe slot H between the projectionslll until the lower pin reaches the periphery of opening 3. Thiso'pening is of such diameter as to allow the base of the lamp then to be rotated, the pins moving in the arcuate slots whereby the pins make contact with the contact members 5 and separate them. As the contact members 5 are moved outwardly they engage the contact members 6 and complete circuit connections to the lamp pins from the terminals II, as shown by Fig. 4. In order to grip firmly the lamp pins, the contact members 5 are formed with indented portions I! which cooperate with the projections ID to maintain the'pins seated in position on the socket.

It will be noticed that the contact members 6, either one or both of whi ch may be alive, are completely hidden and sh elded by the cover member and cannot be acci entally touched. If accidental contact is made the contact members 5 no harm is done since these members are normally insulated from one another and are biased out of engagement with the contacts 6.

As shown in Fig. 1, one socket is provided for each end of the lamp, the sockets being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the distance between the ends of the lamp so that the lamp may be easily mounted in position.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01 the United, States is:

1..In a socket for use with electric lamps having spaced contact pins, 8. housing of insulating material having a recess therein and a slot merging with said recess and extending to an edge of said housing, spaced contact members 'in said 35' lamp pins being inserted in said recess by move- 40' ment through said slot, and means within the recess guiding the lamp pins for rotation into engagement with the first-mentioned contact members to move them outwardly into engage ment with said additional contact members to.45

complete an electric circuit to the lamp pins.

2. In a socket for electric lamps or the like, a housing of insulating material having a recess with said first-mentioned contacts flexing them outwardly into engagement with said additional contact members. V

4. A socket for electric lamps or the like comprising a housing of insulating material, said housing being provided with diametrically opposite arcuate slots and also with a slot extending diametrically of and intersecting both of said arcuate slots, said diametrical slots extending to an edge of saidhousing, spring contact members mounted on said housing within said arcuate slots and on opposite sides of said diametrical slots, and additional contact members carried by said housing outside said arcuate slots and being out of engagement with said first-mentioned contact members when the lamp a housing of insulating material having a recess therein, .a studupstanding from the bottom of said recess, said stud being provided with a diametrical slot, said housing being provided with therein, a stud separating said recess into two compartments. said compartments merging into a slot extending to the edge of said housing, spaced contact members adapted to be connect ed to an electric circuit carried by said housing, and a separate contact member in each of said compartments for engaging the contact pins of a lamp, the lamp pins engaging said last-men" tioned separate contact members to move them outwardly into electrical engagement with the first-mentioned contact members to complete an electric circuit to the lamp pins.

3. Ina lamp socket for use with lamps having aligned contact pins adapted to be inserted in the socket by straight line motion and subsequent rotation therein, a support of insulating material hav all eflnin an o enin m w s d g p g m at least plane of the recess and being normally spaced one face and a slot extending from said opening to an edge oi! said face, spaced flexible contact members mounted in said support within said opening, and a member of insulating material a slot extending from said recess to an outer edge thereof in alignment with the slot in said stud,

spring contact members having portions in said recess cooperating with said stud on-opposite sides of said-diametrical slot, and additional contact members adapted to be connected to an electric circuit carried by said housing and being normally out of engagement with said first-mentioned contact members, the prongs of a lamp being moved laterally through said slots and rotated about said stud into engagement with said first-mentioned contact members to move them outwardly into electrical engagement with said last-mentioned additional contact members to complete an-electric circuit to the lamp pins.

6. A socket for use with a lamp having spaced contact pins comprising, in combination, a housing of insulating material having an exposed recess therein, spaced contact members in said recess adapted to engage the lamp pins upon rotation of the pins within the recess, additional spaced contact members carried by said housing, said additional contact members being out of theplane of the recess and being normally spaced from the first-mentioned contact members, engagement of the lamp pins with the firstmentioned contact members upon rotation thereof flexing said contact members outwardly into engagement with said last-mentioned contact members tocomplete an electrical circuit to the lamp pins.

7-. A socket for use with a lamp'having spaced contact pins comprising, in combination, a hous- 0 ing of insulating material having an exposed recess therein, spaced contact members in said recess adapted to engage the lamp pins upon having a groove between said contacts, said slot and said groove being in alignment, and additional contact members carried by said housing outside said opening and being normally out of engagement with said first-mentioned contact members, rotation of the pins into engagement rotation of the pins within the recess, an additional contact member carried by said housing, said additional contact member being out of the lamp pin.

FRANK J. HAWKINS. 

